Youth Crews Medal at Nationals
CRI Jr. Comp Team returned from US Youth Rowing National Championships June 14 with two first-time ever medals in the Jr. Men’s events. The annual competition, sponsored by the US Rowing Association and held on Cincinnati’s Lake Harsha, is the pinnacle of US junior rowing (Ages 15-18).
CRI’s Jr. Men’s Varsity Four (4+) finished second in the nation, bringing home a silver medal, while the Lightweight Men’s Eight (under 155lbs.) finished third, taking bronze.
Training out of the newly opened Harry Parker boathouse on the Charles River, CRI qualified ten boats for the national competition, a record-breaking number for the club. CRI entered nine boats and 50 athletes at Nationals—the most of any rowing club in the U.S.
The performance by CRI Jr. Men’s team represents a milestone for the boy’s program: this is the first time in the club’s 20-plus year history that the Jr. Men’s team has medaled at Youth National Championships.
CRI girls’ crews also competed successfully at Nationals: The Jr. Women’s Lightweight Eight (under 130 lbs) finished 4th in the nation, solidifying CRI’s Women’s program as a national powerhouse and one of the top girls’ high school rowing programs in the country.
CRI’s juniors earned three more Top Ten finishes: Jr. Women’s Varsity Eight, Jr. Women’s Varsity Four and Jr. Men’s Lightweight Four all finished fourth in their respective B-finals, placing tenth in the nation overall. Jr. Women’s Varsity Double finished third in their C-Final and fifteenth nationally.
